Anzac Day 1966

[Whispering_Jack 30,575]

Melbourne's decline at the end of its golden era was swift. No sooner had the 1964 premiership cup been put away that stories were put abroad about captain Ron Barassi's possible defection to Carlton where he was indeed appointed and ultimately coached them to three flags, 

The Demons pressed on irregardless and won their first eight matches but there were a few chinks in the armour. The team managed to find a way somehow to win games, often by narrow margins (take note Hawthorn) but the die was cast. It was an aging team with a growing number of holes in the makeup. Queens Birthday 1965 was the start of the fall from grace when they lost their first game for the season by 61 points to St Kilda. A week earlier, Smith the master had bested Barassi the pupil but the end of the golden era was near.

A month later, the chinks became a gaping chasm when Norm Smith was sacked and then reinstated after a week. The team started losing and missed out on making the finals at the end of the year.

If Queens Birthday 1965 was the day on which the fall from grace began, then Anzac Day 1966 - 50 years ago today - was the day when the realisation set in that the golden era was over. At the time, it was unimaginable that half a century later, the Melbourne Football Club would remain without another flag to its name.

The opposition was again St Kilda. I found this article on the Football Almanac about Anzac Day 1966 written from the perspective of a Saints fan. I will come back with my own recollections of the day and later, in the run up to next week's game at Etihad against ... St Kilda, some thoughts about whether the new reality at Melbourne today can become a true revival.

[John Crow Batty 8,878]

3 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Melbourne's decline at the end of its golden era was swift. No sooner had the 1964 premiership cup been put away that stories were put abroad about captain Ron Barassi's possible defection to Carlton where he was indeed appointed and ultimately coached them to three flags, 

The Demons pressed on irregardless and won their first eight matches but there were a few chinks in the armour. The team managed to find a way somehow to win games, often by narrow margins (take note Hawthorn) but the die was cast. It was an aging team with a growing number of holes in the makeup. Queens Birthday 1965 was the start of the fall from grace when they lost their first game for the season by 61 points to St Kilda. A week earlier, Smith the master had bested Barassi the pupil but the end of the golden era was near.

A month later, the chinks became a gaping chasm when Norm Smith was sacked and then reinstated after a week. The team started losing and missed out on making the finals at the end of the year.

If Queens Birthday 1965 was the day on which the fall from grace began, then Anzac Day 1966 - 50 years ago today - was the day when the realisation set in that the golden era was over. At the time, it was unimaginable that half a century later, the Melbourne Football Club would remain without another flag to its name.

The opposition was again St Kilda. I found this article on the Football Almanac about Anzac Day 1966 written from the perspective of a Saints fan. I will come back with my own recollections of the day and later, in the run up to next week's game at Etihad against ... St Kilda, some thoughts about whether the new reality at Melbourne today can become a true revival.

I have heard a lot of stories to why Smith was sacked but I am still none the wiser as are many supporters  as to the real truthful reason. Would be good if it was fully explained. Someone must have the true facts.  

[Wells 11 5,422]

I was only 6 in 66  but somehow it still hurts to think of those days. I came on board as a dee in 71. We  have become so irrelevant since then its hard to imagine a time when we were THE super power. I can definitely feel something brewing at the dees.....I think we all can. Id be so much more confident if we had a training centre to ourselves and some kid of real home. Its the era of free agency and player power and I just wonder if are we going to be able to retain our players and attract free agents in this set up. I hope so. But in the short term at least I see onfield revival big time......but to believe in a genuine , long term rebirth I think we need a high class training base to ourselves. 

[Whispering_Jack 30,575]

8 minutes ago, america de cali said:

I have heard a lot of stories to why Smith was sacked but I am still none the wiser as are many supporters  as to the real truthful reason. Would be good if it was fully explained. Someone must have the true facts.  

Do yourself a favour and buy The Red Fox: The Biography of Norm Smith: Legendary Melbourne Coach by Ben Collins. It's worth reading.

I'm sure others can supply some information here but I want to concentrate on Anzac Day 1966 and St Kilda which won the premiership that year but like us after 1964, has never tasted a premiership since then.

[Tony Tea 2,809]

Point of order: Barassi coached Carlton to 2 flags. 

[Whispering_Jack 30,575]

17 minutes ago, Tony Tea said:

Point of order: Barassi coached Carlton to 2 flags. 

You're right. It was John Nicholls who coached them in 1972 but if it makes me feel any better, it was mostly due to the influence of RDB and the Carlton board that installed him in setting up the club for a sustained period of success.

[dieter 3,325]

58 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Do yourself a favour and buy The Red Fox: The Biography of Norm Smith: Legendary Melbourne Coach by Ben Collins. It's worth reading.

I'm sure others can supply some information here but I want to concentrate on Anzac Day 1966 and St Kilda which won the premiership that year but like us after 1964, has never tasted a premiership since then.

I recall buying this in  mid 2009 after recovering from pulmonary embolism. I nearly fell out of my bed when I read that the mighty red head Norm was 57 when he died. I mentioned this to a contemporary Demon man, a man two years older, and he informed me that in those days most blokes died around the time they were 60.

[monoccular 17,570]

So long ago.

I have just realized, nobody has ever paid a cent to see MFC (or Footscray for that matter) win a premiership, and nobody ever paid a penny to see St Kilda win one. 

[bush demon 2,061]

Love these kind of discussions. The Saints had opened us up before, in the closing phase of Smith's reign, exposing weaknesses that had been papered over by our crafty coach. Once was mid-season 1964, and the other was Ditterich's first game could have been a final in very early 60's. I remember in the primary school playground kids used to scream 'Cooper!' When going for a mark. Ian Cooper was another of the high flyers we had no answer to in this period.  

 

[bush demon 2,061]

2 hours ago, america de cali said:

I have heard a lot of stories to why Smith was sacked but I am still none the wiser as are many supporters  as to the real truthful reason. Would be good if it was fully explained. Someone must have the true facts.  

Ha ha. Loved the ref. To the UFO's in Clayton. That was near Westall Primary school, adjacent to our Whiteside Primary school. Witnesses to the UFO included several teachers including I think the principal. 

[John Crow Batty 8,878]

12 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Do yourself a favour and buy The Red Fox: The Biography of Norm Smith: Legendary Melbourne Coach by Ben Collins. It's worth reading.

I'm sure others can supply some information here but I want to concentrate on Anzac Day 1966 and St Kilda which won the premiership that year but like us after 1964, has never tasted a premiership since then.

Thanks, it's now on my to buy list. Never been a big fan of footy books but this one looks like  a decent read.

Edited April 25, 2016 by america de cali

[Skuit 10,031]

11 hours ago, monoccular said:

So long ago.

I have just realized, nobody has ever paid a cent to see MFC (or Footscray for that matter) win a premiership, and nobody ever paid a penny to see St Kilda win one. 

Can you elucidate Mon? Was it free entry in those days?

[Chris 2,892]

12 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

You're right. It was John Nicholls who coached them in 1972 but if it makes me feel any better, it was mostly due to the influence of RDB and the Carlton board that installed him in setting up the club for a sustained period of success.

Sounds familiar (with RDB replaced by PR and Carlton with Melbourne). Hopefully with the same outcome!

Edited April 25, 2016 by Chris

[monoccular 17,570]

9 hours ago, Skuit said:

Can you elucidate Mon? Was it free entry in those days?

No

 

MFC (and Dogs) haven't won a flag since decimal currency, hence never paid a cent for a flag.

Conversely Saints never won in the pounds, shillings and pence days.

[Skuit 10,031]

7 minutes ago, monoccular said:

No

 

MFC (and Dogs) haven't won a flag since decimal currency, hence never paid a cent for a flag.

Conversely Saints never won in the pounds, shillings and pence days.

Got me.

[Whispering_Jack 30,575]

Fifty years ago the start of the VFL had a staggered start to the season and the final game of the opening round was played at the MCG on Anzac Day between Melbourne and St Kilda in front of a crowd of 64,930.

The Demons were undergoing a massive rebuild as retirements and injuries finally took their toll on a side that finished in the top four for eleven years running from 1953 to 1964, played in eight grand finals and won six premierships. The fall from grace in the latter half of 1965 was decisive but over the summer of 65-66, Melbourne fans were hoping that was a mere aberration and the team would regroup to become a force again.

Despite remaining hopeful, the signs were not good for supporters during the preseason when it became clear that their team would have to rely on a number of recruits to fill their side. When the team was announced to take on St Kilda who were runners up in 1965, seven first gamers were selected - Ed Burston, Jeff Chapman, Ross Dillon, Terry Leahy, Bob Russell Robert Stewart and Neville Stone.

It took until late in the first term for the Saints to get into gear with a three goal burst in the dying moments. The young Demons then outscored the opposition in the second to give a slight glimmer of hope before the St Kilda machine crushed them with twelve goals to two after half time to win by 76 points and announce themselves as premiership contenders (they did indeed win the flag that year).

Melbourne 1.0.6 2.4.16 4.7.31 4.9.33

St. Kilda 4.4.28 5.5.35 12.6.78 17.7.109

Goals Bourke Burston Chapman Groom

Best Williams Mann Anderson Bourke Feldman Dillon

The Melbourne team that day was:

B: Terry Leahy, Bernie Massey, Tassie Johnson

HB: Tony Anderson, Don Williams, Bryan Kenneally

C: Brian Dixon, Hassa Mann, Barry Bourke

HF: Rick Feldman, Ross Dillon, Ray Groom

F: Ed Burston, Jeff Chapman, Ken Emselle

FOLL: Graham Wise, Bob Russell, Stan Alves

19/20 Robert Stewart, Neville Stone

Coach: Norm Smith

Ironically, the hero of the 1964 grand final Neil Crompton played in the reserves.

To understand the extent of Melbourne's situation, it's worth noting the difference between that side and the one which win the 1964 flag just 18 months earlier:

The 1964 Melbourne Grand Final team

B: Neil Crompton, Bernie Massey, Tassie Johnson

HB: Tony Anderson, Brian Roet, Frank Davis

C: Brian Dixon, Don Williams, Frank Adams

HF: Bryan Kenneally, Graeme Jacobs, Barrie Vagg

F: John Lord, Barry Bourke, John Townsend

FOLL: Graham Wise, Ron Barassi, Hassa Mann

19/20: Peter McLean, Ken Emselle

Coach: Norm Smith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT-5M7p-ZmM&sns=em

There had been a significant turnover of players and the one who was missed the most was the team's on field leader Ron Barassi who had moved on to Carlton and was building their next premiership team.

Reflecting on Anzac Day 50 years ago it's hard to believe now that so many years would pass by after the end of that golden era without the enjoyment of a single premiership flag in the interim. There have been two grand finals but the Demons were the underdogs and outclassed in both cases. And of course, St. Kilda which went on to win the 1966 premiership have fared no better.

I do have this feeling however, that things are about to change for the better ...